Valley of the Fallen
by Microcrane
Summary: A child must be saved, and to do so, his puzzle pieces have been scattered across the world. Those who bear his blood must now find a way to collect all the pieces and put them back together, working side-by-side. After all, it is their Fate.
1. Chapter 1

**Valley of the Fallen**

Fate Series + One Piece

 **A/N: This came to me suddenly when I was playing the F/GO NA server's release of the Kara no Kyoukai event for some reason, so excuse me for the inconsistencies. I kind of just threw this together in about ten minutes so...yeah, sorry about that.**

* * *

 _It was eerily silent, not a single sound to be heard, other than the crunch of snow being unceremoniously stepped upon at an unsteady pace; a limp. A single, trembling arm hugged a bundle close, legs pressing on, forcing themselves forward despite the overwhelming pain as blood dribbled from a severed limb, staining the pure white snow a violent crimson._

 _Her son. No, she couldn't let her son die like this._

 _Small clouds of air blew from the bundle in her arm, the warmth emitting from the cloth slowly dying. His breathing, it was slowing; growing shallow. Her son was fading. She forced herself to choke back a sob, biting her lip, before looking back up, looking ahead, ignoring the scorching feeling of snowflakes and hail hitting her eyes, the wind drying them out._

 _She just had to make it to the clearing, if she made it there then her son would be saved. She trudged on, nausea building upon her head as more blood flowed from her body. She had to make it. She was so close - so close, she had to make it, she had to. Her legs gave out on her and she cried out in pain, icy snow ironically burning against her fresh wound._

 _But no. She had to make it. She struggled to stand, but to no avail, sticky and sour red dripping from her lips. Only a bit farther, she was so close. She could see the clearing, even with her vision gaining more and more black spots. She couldn't let her son die like this. She braced herself, crawling, feeling her legs begin to freeze, her forehead sharing their pain. She couldn't let her son touch the snow, he would surely die. He was so young, and she only had so many arms at the moment._

 _A shaky breath escaped her, feeling her eyelids slowly shut, no matter how hard she tried to force them open. Her body was giving out on her. No matter how powerful she may be, that man would always overcome her. She couldn't let him reach her son. She was so close, but was she close enough? She didn't know - she wouldn't know. Her eyes began to fail her, and she knew that she hadn't time, she had to do it now._

 _She took another gulp of air before muttering out an incantation, words in a tongue that none knew, none save her and her child, whose uneven breaths became steady as the wind grew fiercer, and her body went numb; she could feel nothing. She could hear nothing._

 _Nothing but the words slipping from her mouth, barely above a whisper._

 _There were shouts, the sound of explosions growing nearer; she did not notice, but it didn't matter. None of it mattered._

 _As she chanted the last line, a violent tornado taking shape as a steady, ivory white glow that had been festering exploded into a bright scarlet, blowing everything away. Everything save the woman and her son. But nothing would be left after the tornado passed. Not the mother, not the son, not those who had descended upon the island. For all of it had been destroyed - everything, but her wish had been granted._

 _Her son would be spared. At a price, of course._

* * *

Every week, if not every day, was the same thing. Wake up in the morning, get dressed, greet her neighbors and go out to the market to get ingredients for making breakfast for herself and her adoptive mother. She would usually help the woman out in the kitchen after they both woke up and started running the bar, watching as pirates, civilians and Marines alike filtered in for a bite. This place was a grace area, where fighting was not tolerated regardless of affiliation and reason.

"Good morning Illya," her mother smiled at her warmly, a smile the girl happily returned.

"G'morning Makino!" was her cheerful reply as her white hair swished back and forth, her hands carrying a tray with a warm meal on top. "I don't think I burned it this time." The green haired woman laughed light-heartedly at the girl's comment, gratefully accepting the food.

"Well, I'm sure it tastes wonderful either way. Why don't you get the bar ready for the day?" Illya nodded eagerly, closing the door to Makino's room behind her before speeding down the stairs, mentally preparing herself for another day of hard work - not that she didn't enjoy it. In fact, she was very glad she got this opportunity. Illya got to see people smiling and chatting all day, and while it was admittedly a bit depressing not being able to join in, she still got to see other people being cheerful and full of happiness, and that was all she could ask for.

She had grown fond of her home - Foosha Village - over the years. Makino told her that she had found her on the shore, washed up and near death, so the woman took her in and raised her. Illya had especially grown fond of speaking with two boys who had passed by the bar frequently, and apparently Makino's other two favourites; Ace and Luffy.

The two of them found enjoyment in telling Illya all sorts of stories - kindhearted pirates, tough-love grandfathers, training in forests - and she loved it. Illya never really took herself as one for adventure, so hearing about others' was something she could take solace in. And it seemed that Ace would be arriving early in the morning this time, unusual for him. The boy did like his sleep after all.

The doors to the bar opened with that familiar wooden squeak and clunk when they closed, and Illya looked up to greet the person who had entered, before her red eyes met with dark black, and she beamed. "Ace!"

"Hey, Illya," he chuckled at her excited expression, walking further into the bar and beginning to help her take the chairs down without asking. She didn't protest. She had tried several times before but he would always win. "Up and at it already, I see."

"M-hm, I gotta make sure everything's ready for the day," Illya nodded firmly and Ace cracked a smile. "You're usually not up this early, did something happen?"

He pouted at her. "Am I really that bad at getting up?" When she nodded again, his head slumped. "Geez...well, I got up early since I'm leaving pretty soon and I want to make sure I have everything before I go." Illya's heart fell a little at this; she'd forgotten. "Hey, don't give me that look! You're making me feel really bad!"

Illya jokingly crossed her arms and huffed. "Well good! Feel bad! Then maybe you'll stay!"

All she got was another laugh as Ace ruffled her hair. "You know I can't, Illya. I have a dream to pursue and a promise to keep." She puffed up her cheeks, knowing he was right. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'll come back to see you after I get the One Piece." Her frown deepened.

"But Ace!" she whined, "That's not gonna be for a long time!"

He sighed. "You got me there. But I promise, okay? I'll visit when I get the chance." Illya hesitated before nodding. She felt his hand leave her silver hair and she took a moment to comb her fingers through the locks to undo any tangles Ace may have made. "And...actually, nevermind. I'll tell you when I'm about to leave. So...tomorrow."

She pouted again and stuck her tongue out at him. "Hmph! You and Luffy and your pirate shenanigans..." Ace laughed loudly. "...but Ace, can you promise me another thing?"

The boy blinked before crossing his arms. "Sure. What is it?"

She reached out and grabbed the hem of his unbuttoned shirt, so used to seeing his bare chest by now she didn't even look twice at it. "Promise me...promise me that no matter what, I'll get to see you again before you go and get yourself killed like an idiot."

Ace would have made a joke if not for the sincere and genuinely solemn look in her eyes. Realizing that she was serious, he smiled gently as he took her tiny hand in his, which was so large compared to hers. "I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."

"Ew," was her blunt reply and he snorted. lllya opened her mouth to say something, but Makino came down the stairs that very moment and grinned when she saw the freckled boy.

"Ace! What a surprise seeing you at this hour!" Ace rolled his eyes playfully.

"I already got an earful from Illya, I don't need one from you too!" Makino giggled into her hand, Illya joining in as Ace gave them a lop-sided smile. "Well, anyway, what's for breakfast?"

* * *

The rest of the day was normal, save the extra gossip and chat because of Ace's soon departure. Illya knew she was visibly saddened by it, but no one made any comment. Probably for her own good. Of course, it was always the lovable idiot who could always both cheer her up and annoy her equally.

"Hey! Illya!" She inwardly groaned at the familiar voice, but gave a genuine smile at the boy who was running towards her. "Have you seen Ace? I was running all over the place looking for him!"

"Sorry Luffy," Illya shook her head, "I haven't seen him since this morning. Do you need him for something?"

"Not really." She inwardly face-palmed. This boy, honestly.

"I can't help you then," she replied shortly and he looked like a kicked puppy. Unfortunately for him, Illya had long since gotten used to seeing that expression. "I'm serious, I haven't seen him. He might be back with Dadan, though."

Luffy was silent for a moment, studying Illya, before tilting his head, furrowing his brows. "You look sad."

Illya looked away, embarrassed. "I am not sad!" Even though they both knew that was a lie.

"You're a really bad liar." Illya swatted at him, but he dodged easily, knowing she wasn't really _that_ angry at him. "Is it because Ace is leaving?"

Her eyes remained focused elsewhere, but her gaze fell to the floor regardless. "...it's that obvious?"

"Yup." She swatted at him again.

"I'm allowed to be upset about this, okay?!" Luffy crossed his arms and gave her a confused look.

"Did I ever said you weren't?"

"...no, you didn't." Illya sighed, adjusting the basket in her arms. The two were silent for a moment before Luffy awkwardly patted her head.

"I'm sad too, y'know. He's my brother too, after all." She gave him an inquisitive look.

" 'Too?' " she questioned cautiously, making his expression grow even more confused than it had been already, as impossible as it had seemed.

"Yeah, you're like a sister to us you know that? We never did the vow with the sake but it's kinda been the unspoken message. Are you dense?" This time, Illya successfully landed a hit, whacking him upside the head.

"Yes! I'm dense, okay?! You guys are really important to me! Brothers! Maybe more! I don't know, but the thought of losing you two just hurts so much, I don't want you guys to get out of my sight because I'm afraid you'll die on me!" Illya exclaimed, before she froze up and covered her mouth. That had come out without her intending it to. Luffy seemed a bit shocked as well, but not overly so, before he grinned widely.

"Then maybe you should become a pirate too!" Illya gave him a dumbfounded look, and he proceeded to explain. "Well, if you're a pirate too, you're going to be able to visit us, right? And we'll be closer together! And adventuring! And being free! It'll be really fun! You can join my crew if you want!"

Her hands fell from her mouth slowly. "...really?"

Luffy's grin only widened. "Yeah! Definitely! It's okay if you don't want to now, but just know that even if Ace doesn't want you with him for some reason, you can always join me! That spot'll always be open! I'll reserve it just for you!"

Illya felt a stupid smile cross her face and she suddenly hugged him, extracting a small 'woah!' of surprise from the older male before he chuckled and returned the embrace. "Thanks, Luffy...you and Ace really are the best, you know?"

"We sure are!" She playfully hit the back of his head before letting go of him. "You're still a kid so you can't become a pirate yet, but when you get old enough, let me know if you want to join me, okay?"

Illya nodded eagerly, before holding out her pinky. Understanding what it was she wanted to do, he interlocked her pinky with his. "Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Oh God here we go, I wanted to get it off my chest and out there. There's still more introductions to go but I figured it would be weird if I had them all in the first chapter. It's already rushed as is and that wouldn't be helping its case at all.**

 **Well, yeah. That's it. Sorry for the bad writing.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **Microcrane**


	2. Chapter 2

**Valley of the Fallen**

Fate Series + One Piece

 **A/N:** **Oops I'm back real soon with another part of the introduction, and some replies.**

 **Amatsumi: Concerning the "rebirth of Type Moon characters," I wouldn't exactly say that. Not terribly far off, but not spot on either. As for the Shirou's upbringing prediction, I hate to say it but that hadn't ever crossed my mind, and it isn't anything nearly as interesting as that, regrettably. This whole story was just a half-assed idea that came to me at, what, ten or eleven in the evening? So, it's not going to be anything elaborate.  
**

 **mx2342: I'm glad you like how the trio turned out, and to answer your question, when I first uploaded the first chapter, I had [Ritsuka, Illya and Shirou] (I think I put Rin on there too) as the featured characters, but I changed it after some reconsideration, so the one including Ishtar and Cú is the more recent and accurate one, so to speak. All the characters are technically included. You'll see what I mean by "technically" later on. Maybe I'll drop the Ishtar tag and exchange it for another if I feel it appropriate.  
**

 **happysausage: Well, no, not really. I'm completely (stand-correct, mostly,) adapting them to the One Piece world so Illya doesn't have any of that. However she will have something else that is considerably simpler and less impressive. I think that since this takes place in the One Piece world, is based there and none of them have actually "been" to the Fates Series world per se, giving Illya Magecraft would be a little much.  
**

* * *

The world was a blur, the sound of talking a slurred and muted warble in the background. His eyes opened, slowly, naturally trying to adapt to the amount of light hitting them so suddenly.

Where was he?

He tried to move but his body barely responded, the most he got being the twitch of his fingers and flicker of the eyelids. He tried again and again, but to no avail; he couldn't budge. A strangled sound of annoyance crawled from his throat and he stilled.

Who was he?

Come to think of it, he couldn't remember anything. He didn't know how he got here, his name, his age, what he looked like - nothing, except his language. Even then he couldn't remember the name of it. He had amnesia, that much was obvious. Through the ground, he heard someone approaching; the crunching of boots against sand was distinct, stopping just beside him and the light was temporarily blocked by what he assumed to be a person.

The person spoke to him, but he couldn't hear, and it seemed the person realized after seeing his puzzled expression and dazed look. A pair of hands gruffly grabbed onto his arms and helped him sit up, before shouting again. Soon after, another pair of hands grasped onto his ankles and he felt himself being lifted off the ground. Where were they taking him? Away from the salty smell of the ocean, that much was for sure. Before he could try again to clear his vision, he blacked out again when he fell against a hard wooden floor.

* * *

Seeing a kid collapsed on the ground, looking like he was literally on Death's Door wasn't something he liked to see. Not to mention something about the kid seemed off; not normal. Was it potential? Haki? He wasn't sure, but something about the boy made him particularly special. Special enough for his senses to warn him, at least. That alone was something, so he had to be careful, regardless of the fact that the kid was dazed and out cold the next moment thanks to his wet body; he dropped him.

"Damn it, Marco! Don't let go of the brat, he's barely alive!" The blond male gave a sheepish smile, going down and holding onto the boy's arms again.

"He'll be fine, Izo, don't worry." Seeing the skeptical look he was getting, Marco sighed. "I'm serious, just trust me, alright?"

"...alright," the man nodded finally and he grinned casually in response. "On the double, bird-brain. If the kid dies, Pops will be furious. He _did_ ask us to take him on board." Marco felt a sigh leave him at the reminder.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. The kid's got something to 'im. Alright, to the infirmary we go," Marco ended the conversation without answering Izo's questioning look, guiding the two males to their goal and laying the boy on the bed. He watched the boy's face as the nurses got to work, hurrying about with bandages to cover up the cuts along his arms and chest, which had been exposed by the rips in his white button-down. It looked like it had been a rather high-end shirt, judging from the lantern sleeves, nacre buttons and fine ivory cloth - satin, he guessed. From his clothes and hands, it seemed the boy had been rich, with the lack of callouses; it was as if he'd never worked a day in his life, but his muscular form beneath the thin fabric told otherwise.

It wasn't the muscle of someone who sat on their ass all day and let everyone else do the work. But then how did he have a body like that? Marco's eyes narrowed, but said nothing as the nurses ushered the two men out onto the deck of the ship so they could get to work. He and his crewmate walked along in silence, Izo glancing at him a few times, probably confused about his suddenly-serious expression.

"Any idea where he came from, Izo?" Marco broke the silence, and Izo shook his head as a confident reply.

"No, however his facial features suggest the Wano Country, from what I can tell. If that's the case, that would mean he's as much an anomaly to us as he would be to anyone else. We can only hope he can give us answers once he comes to." Izo shot Marco a look. "That is, _if_ he wakes up, thanks to the new bruise on his head. He already has enough damage as is."

The man held up his hands with a defeated smile. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that."

"You aren't sorry!"

"Nope."

Izo gritted his teeth, fuming, but let out a shaky breath to calm himself. "Anyways...his body." Ah, Marco saw this coming. "Anything?"

"He doesn't seem to have ever held a weapon in his hands for long, 'might be a fist fighter. No callouses or signs of much physical effort put into anything." Izo nodded in agreement. "But like you said, we can't say anything for certain until he wakes up."

" _If_ he wakes up."

"Yeah, yeah, Izo, I get it. 'If.' "

" _N_ _o you do **not**!_"

* * *

The lights weren't there like he had excepted them to when he opened his eyes again. It took him a moment to process he was inside. Inside?

He shot up, alarmed, before he let out a cry of pain and hugged his chest, agony flashing across his body, from all over. He heard people running to the door, surprised shouting and calling. Panic overcame him and he tensed, eyes wide as they glued onto the entrance of the room as it opened. Who was coming? Did they want to hurt him? What was going on?

He winced when the glare of the sun peeked in, blinding him temporarily, and his breath grew ragged; his wounds had opened again, but he didn't notice.

"Oh, you're awake." came a voice; it was calm and relaxed. It almost brought his heart rate back down, but he was too scared to calm so quickly. Alarmed, he crawled backwards until his wall was flat against the wall, ignoring the shots of pain running up and down his spine and arms. "Woah! Woah woah, calm down there kid, we're not gonna hurt you..."

Finally managing to make the figure out, he took in a tall man with a large frame sporting an impressive light brown pompadour and a friendly smile - a bit forced, but genuinely friendly nonetheless. His voice sounded like he was talking to a scared rabbit.

"...where am I?" he asked cautiously, and the man relaxed a little, seeing the boy had left his panicked state a bit.

"You're on our ship, Moby Dick. We found you washed up on the shore all battered up so we figured we couldn't leave you there to die and helped you recover," he explained patiently as a few more people filtered into the room; all men, he soon realized. "Do you have a name, kid?"

He slowly shook his head and the man sighed, scratching the nape of his neck. "Ah, that complicates things. Do you have anything you want us to call you for now?" The boy shook his head again. "Izo," the man turned to another (the boy had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't a woman), who perked at the mention of his name. "Any ideas on a name?"

"Why me?" he sounded irked.

"Well, you kinda look like him, so..." Izo glared at him, and the man looked away, looking defeated. "Yeah, okay okay...how about...uh...Rits?"

"...Rits?" came an unimpressed voice, and the boy's gaze fell onto a tall man with a single tuft of golden blond hair on the top of his head. " _Rits_ , Thatch?"

"What? Can you come up with a better one?" Thatch challenged, looking offended.

"No, but we can at the very least build off of that one and make it a _bit_ more creative. You don't call a kid _Rits_ just because you found him covered in gashes," the man raised a brow at Thatch, who sighed.

"Yeah, okay fine."

Something clicked in the boy's mind.

"Ritsuka."

The boy's voice was smoother and clearer than anyone had anticipated, even the boy himself. He'd expected it to be at least a little bit scratchy, but it seemed that was not the case.

"...Ritsuka, eh?" The blond man smiled, something the boy immediately decided looked much better than when he was frowning. "Izo, you were right. He very well might be from the Wano Country."

Ritsuka blinked in confusion. "...Wano?"

"The country you may have come from," the man explained. "I'm Marco, by the way. The tall mustache-guy over there's Vista, the cross-dresser's Izo and the guy who called you _Rits_ ," he shot the man a look, "is Thatch."

"I'm here too," came a gruff voice with playful hurt laced into it. A large man with curly black hair stepped forth with a grin. "I'm Teach, nice to meet you, kid."

Ritsuka stared at him steadily, studying him. Something about the man put the boy off. But he nodded hesitantly nonetheless.

"Not one for many words, huh?" Izo sounded more curious than annoyed. "Your clothes are on the table to your right, the nurses were kind enough to fix them for you."

Marco gave him a questioning look, but the glare he received was deadly enough for him to bite his tongue at say nothing, looking a little nervous as he looked away. Thatch sniggered, before grinning at Ritsuka. "Well, sorry we scared you. We'll go tell the others you're up - Pops is gonna wanna talk to you. He's the captain of this ship," he added when he saw Ritsuka tilt his head.

The boy nodded before pausing. None of them noticed, save Marco, who stayed behind as the others filtered out, seemingly excited by the boy's awakening, closing the door behind them. The man studied Ritsuka as his gaze grew distant, turning to the back of his right hand, seemingly lost and confused. Marco eyed his hand suspiciously. Was there something supposed to be there? Come to think of it, the back of his right hand had been cut up the worst out of all of his wounds. Had his assailant tried to remove something? A mark? A tattoo?

He was snapped from his thoughts when Ritsuka held his face in his hands, sitting criss-cross and began to mutter to himself.

"Ritsuka." The boy jolted, starting at the sound of his voice. He hadn't noticed Marco stay after, he noted. "You alright there, kid?"

Ritsuka looked up at him almost meekly before slowly shaking his head. "I...would you believe me if I told you that...if I told you I can't remember anything?"

Marco furrowed his brows, squinting at the boy. Interesting. "...with time, I would. For now, no," he replied honestly. Ritsuka took in his answer before nodding and looking away again.

"...I see."

There was silence again before Ritsuka looked up at him again with a gentle smile. It almost convinced Marco he was absolutely harmless. _Almost_.

"Thanks, Mister Marco." He scoffed.

"Drop the Mister. It's too formal. Just Marco is fine." Ritsuka almost laughed, for some reason. But Marco was happy to see him look alive again, after spending so many days looking at a boy who looked so dead.

"Thanks, Marco."

"Much better."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Ack an OOC Marco, I feel bad. Whatever. I got another chapter in at least, in record time. So yeah. Ritsuka's here. Oho? I guess?**

 **Well anyways, there's two more introductions to go through before the story actually starts to progress. Thanks for reading, I guess, sorry for poisoning your eyes with my horrible writing.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **Microcrane**


	3. Chapter 3

**Valley of the Fallen**

Fate Series + One Piece

 **A/N:** **Aha! Look at me pumping out chapters. Even though I'm going to slow down eventually. I tried to make this one a bit longer since I didn't feel like making a particularly short chapter, so another introduction is kinda awkwardly wedged in there. I apologize in advance for both the writing quality of that mismatched wedge and the OOC-ness.  
**

 **Honestly, I haven't touched One Piece in a while, only binging a bit here and there, so revisiting it like this just feels nostalgic for some reason. Listening to the openings again is nostalgia overload as well.**

 **Amatsumi: I'm glad you seem to like what I came up with for him - that whole them finding his lack of knowledge strange will apply, but at the same time Marco and company will eventually realize he has indeed "suffered amnesia." And yeah - Ritsuka finds him strange only because he was very friendly to him from the get-go, much more so than Marco, Izo and Vista, but in his eyes Teach is still just another Whitebeard Pirate, who fits in with the rest. And yes, those quotes were put there very intentionally.  
**

* * *

Illya got out of her bed early, feeling even worse than the day before. She pulled on her usual short rosé dress and tied her pink apron by looping the long tassels before her belly rather than her back for easy access. Her knee boots felt heavy as she pulled them on, remembering it was Ace and Luffy who had made them for her as a birthday present a few years back. Two, if she recalled correctly.

"You're finally in your double digits!" Ace had grinned. He looked so happy for her, not that Luffy didn't rival that smile. The rosy coral shade they had managed to dye the material struck a chord in her, which had motivated her to change her entire wardrobe from dark purple to lavender and pink just to match them. Her friends - no, _brothers_ she reminded herself with a wistful smile - were thrilled once they noticed. Pinkie, they had called her playfully.

She sighed sadly, walking downstairs in a slightly depressed state as she went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Turning the oven on, she tried to make a large meal. If Ace and Luffy did what they usually did, they would pass by and have something to eat, despite having already done so at Dadan's place in the woods. Boys and their big appetites, she shook her head.

Illya felt her nose grow warm and she sniffed, holding back gentle and soft tears from falling so they wouldn't worsen. Ace was leaving today, and that meant that after she saw him disappear into the horizon, she wouldn't see him again. Yes, she most definitely remembered his promise to her to visit again, but something in the back of her mind was telling her she wouldn't be seeing him again any time soon, if at all, and if she did, it wouldn't be here. Ever since Luffy had offered her a place in his crew in the future, she had been seriously considering it, but at the same time, she didn't want to miss Ace. If she left with Luffy, she wouldn't be with Ace for a very long time, but the chances of Ace letting her come with him were so astronomically low it was almost sad.

So what was she to do?

For a moment, she thought of Garp - Luffy's grandfather. The man had been delighted to meet her and find that his grandson and Ace were getting along with her swimmingly, jokingly asking her if she would marry one of the two of them. That set off the lighthearted and playful rivalry between the two for her attention. But, Ace would remind her, it was for her _sisterly_ affection. That disappointed Illya somewhat, admittedly, but she went along with it, finding amusement in it whenever the two bickered over the most minor things.

Just like he did for the two boys, he constantly reminded her she should - no, she _would_ , Illya recalled with a light roll of the eyes - be a Marine, not a pirate, and work alongside him. But, also just like the two boys, she didn't want to be a Marine, both because that would mean she would have to hunt her best friends and "brothers," and she wasn't really one for fighting. Sure, she held the potential to hold her own in a fight if push came to shove, but she preferred to avoid violence.

So here was her conundrum; she didn't want to fight, but she wanted to be with her brothers. She wanted to be with her brothers, but she didn't want to take part in any potentially harmful situations. So, she couldn't become a pirate or a Marine through that logic. But of course, Illya knew herself well enough to know very well what path she was headed down.

Smelling that the food on the pan had finished cooking, she briefly broke herself from her thoughts to finish up her preparations, trying to keep her mind away from the subject of Ace and his pirating dreams. But of course, being who she is, her mind was wrapped around it the whole morning. Makino noticed her distracted attitude when she came down the stairs, but made no mention of it - why Illya was feeling upset was clear enough. Out of everyone in the village, she was likely closest to the boys, rivaled only by Makino.

"Hi, Makino," she greeted with a subtle smile, though tired. The woman returned the gesture with a light wave. "Is it okay if I go to my room? I'm working on something..."

The green haired woman blinked before putting her finger to her chin in thought. "Is it for Ace?" Illya nodded eagerly, and Makino chuckled. "Of course, go right ahead. What do you want me to tell the boys when they come around?"

"Tell them...tell them I don't want them bothering me. It's important," the girl provided and her mother nodded, assuring her she'd heard and taken it in. "Thanks!" she smiled widely, flashing out of the kitchen and up the stairs, Makino gazing after her fondly, before turning to the plates on the table, full of food.

"She really overdoes it, doesn't she..."

Shutting the door behind her, Illya let out a breath to steady her heart rate and calm her emotions, which were threatening to have her in tears any second now. Turning to the small table by her equally small but fitting bed, she sat down before it, her eyes studying the materials placed upon the wooden planks. She knew exactly what she was going to do, and she'd gone through some real trouble for this, she'd even gone to Dadan's place to make sure she had everything.

It was a little silly, she knew, but she couldn't be ashamed of it. Illya sighed again before scooting her stool forwards and getting to work.

* * *

Ritsuka's body had taken a long time to recover - not that surprising with wounds that severe, Marco supposed. Even then, though, the boy had been so insistent to meet Whitebeard that he kept pestering the nurses to give him a crutch and walked out on his own when they weren't there so they couldn't keep him from leaving. The captain had burst out in laughter when Ritsuka explained all the trouble he had to go through to get there, standing before him, looking pitiful, with an arm slung over an extended piece of metal with a cushion at the top that could most definitely use some improvement.

"You're a real piece of work, you brat," the man guffawed and the boy offered a lop-sided smile.

"Yeah, I think I've heard that enough times from the nurses to get the idea," that got out another merry round of chuckles. "Mister Whitebeard, I wanted to say thanks a lot for taking care of me. I really can't express my gratitude. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't kick me out at the next island."

Marco snorted. Certainly more light-hearted than he had anticipated.

"You're a funny brat, I'll give you that. I heard from Marco you lost your memories?" Ritsuka nodded at this. "A real shame, I would've liked to hear where someone like you comes from."

"Oh, I don't think you'd want to know, you'll just end up with more needles in your side." This time, Whitebeard snorted.

"Don't be like that, kid, I already live with a whole crew's worth of of them." Marco made a sound of protest, and his captain laughed again. "Say, brat, you don't have a home do you? Why don't you join my crew?"

The blond man gave the older male a look of surprise briefly, but didn't question it. Whitebeard did take in "strays" often, after all.

Ritsuka blinked. That's right, this was a ship full of pirates, not that they really acted like their cruel stereotypes. Quite the opposite, in fact, they had been kind to him, genuinely worried for his health and taking good care of him. And yes, he did need a home, and these men were the only ones he knew. "You sure? You'd really take in a helpless cripple like me?"

"Of course!" Whitebeard looked amused. "From the way my sons speak of you, I'm sure no one would have any objections."

Ritsuka still looked a bit shocked, but a smile tugged at his lips again after a moment. "Well, if you invite me so warmly, who am I to refuse?"

Marco frowned. That was a response he wasn't expecting. "You do realize we're pirates, don't you? The Whitebeard Pirates at that. By joining us, the Marines will be after you too. Being a pirate isn't easy, are you sure you're ready for that?" From the way his captain didn't cut in, the blond male knew his question was a good one that Whitebeard wanted to see answered. Ritsuka's short moment of thought was enough to tell Marco the boy wasn't a complete idiot, he was still rational. There was something about this boy that told Marco that he wouldn't be a burden to the crew, he wouldn't be a deadweight, but at the same time, he wasn't sure whether or not the boy had a spine.

"I know that joining pirates is dangerous. I may not remember any of my past, and that's still present in my mind, but at the same time, that's all I am; a boy without his memories. I don't know if I was on good or bad terms with anyone before now, but at the same time I don't really care that much. I'll be perfectly honest," Ritsuka's gaze grew firm and determined as he clenched his chest, holding it before him.

"I'm not ready. I'm still weak and helpless, I'm still injured and I don't know anything about any of you, but at the same time I don't know anything about myself either. I'm lost and confused, I'm genuinely scared, and my heart is telling me to grasp onto anything I can in order to get myself out of this confusion. That's probably, no, that _is_ the reason I want to be here on this ship; it's the only thing I know right now, it's the first thing I was able to take in, it's the only thing I've ever walked on that I can remember. I don't want to fight because I'm afraid I'll get hurt, I don't want to sail because I'm afraid I'll get lost, but if I stay here, I know something will come out of it. I just know it.

"I don't if I'm saying this right, but I need a family. I need somewhere to sleep, something to eat, someone to talk to, people to share how I feel with. I don't want to be a burden because of the state I'm in and the fact that I'm basically just an empty shell right now. I want to join - even if I'm weak now, I'll get stronger. Even if I'm a coward now, I'll become braver. Even if I have no memories now, I want to fill that empty space with new ones, ones I can hold onto for as long as I live. Even if I'm going to be on the blacklist of the government, I want to be free, I want to discover who I am, and I most of all, I want to repay you for helping me recover."

Ritsuka gave the two men a determined look, clenching his fist tighter, not feeling his nails digging into his skin. "I want to join your crew to do that, even if it means cleaning the decks, even if it means fighting on the frontlines. Maybe I'll regret saying it later, but if I don't do it now, I'll be stuck with this debt for the rest of my life. I may not remember anything, but I can guess it's not everyday you get a friendly offer to join a pirate crew, nor get saved by one and be treated kindly."

Whitebeard was silent for a moment, and it didn't take long for Ritsuka's adamant expression to fade and turn into one of nervousness and sheepishness at the lack of a response. "Oh...er...sorry about that, I didn't mean to go on a tangent there. I mean, I'd completely understand if you didn't let me join..."

There was a soft chortle, before he smiled warmly, as did Marco. "Why so nervous there, kid?" asked the blond pirate, "You have no reason to be anxious." The boy gave him a confused look, and Whitebeard laughed loudly.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand...what's so funny? Did I say something wrong?" Ritsuka asked worriedly, and Whitebeard beamed at him.

"No, not at all. I like you, brat. Welcome to the family, my boy."

The brunette stood in shock for a split second before he grinned brightly. So brightly Marco could swear he could have been blinded - Ritsuka was _emitting flowers_ , he was so happy.

"Glad to be here...Pops."

Marco could swear Whitebeard's smile widened, somehow.

* * *

There was an uncomfortable shuffling from the copper haired boy with blank gold eyes, standing awkwardly in a glass container, the front open like a door. "Doctor Vegapunk...I just stand still, right?"

A tall man looked over his shoulder at the younger, and smiled. "Yes, right there Shirou - and you keep forgetting, just call me Vegapunk. It'll scan your body, but it shouldn't hurt. Make some sort of noise or motion if it does, though. The small blood extraction from just now should be enough to tell your Lineage Factor, so don't worry about that." The boy, Shirou, relaxed, and returned the Doctor's smile, but much softer. The man drew away from his desk and reached for the door to the container. "Are you ready, my boy?"

When he nodded, Vegapunk closed the door, waving at the boy once it was shut who giggled at the gesture, making the man smile again before turning away and activating the machine.

"Still on with the brat?" The man looked up from the controls to see a familiar male with long golden hair and stern figures walking into the room, sparing Shirou a glance, making his way to Vegapunk.

"The 'brat' has a name," the Doctor reminded and the man just grunted. "Is there something I can help you with, Judge?" Vegapunk looked back to the machine, taking out his clipboard and taking a few notes on its progress.

"No," the man replied honestly, "it was simply late and I heard the machines still on so I came to investigate. I really don't know what you see in the boy, all I see is an amnesiac with bright hair with no potential."

Vegapunk clicked his tongue disdainfully - jokingly (playfully even), though, they both knew - and shook his head as he jotted down a few more words on the sheet. "If you can't see what this boy has in store, I really don't know what to tell you, Judge. Do you remember the results from when we first took a look at his blood?" The man was silent, knowing where this was going. "It was completely different from most humans - still distinctly human, but there was something about it that made it so distinct. What was it though?" Vegapunk seemed to be getting more excited, eyes twinkling with fascination as his gaze remained on the boy. "I don't want to keep Shirou in the lab forever, though - I plan on experimenting a little with our theories on the cloning process so I can let him go into the world and keep one behind to further our research."

Judge seemed exasperated for a moment. "You're too invested in this brat - he's just a single boy! The Lineage Factor is a new discovery, for all we know the results you found could be false leads, or maybe not as rare as you think! He's a child you found floating in the middle of the ocean, for goodness' sake! I would keep pressing you to give up on him, but I know you won't. This is just a warning for what the future may hold because you're so insistent on him."

"You can't deny that Shirou is an enigma," Vegapunk pointed out as a light blinked at the top of the glass tank, signalling the process' first stage was completed, and Shirou stood perfectly still, calmly, eyes closed peacefully as his body floated, suspended in transparent liquid, breaths steady as air was provided through the nebulizer mask. "I appreciate your warning, but yes, it's going right over my head. With someone like Shirou perfectly willing to let us carry out experiments on him, I don't want to give up this opportunity."

Judge sighed, turning his gaze to Shirou, focusing on his face. What about him made him so special? Of course, he was no idiot; the Lineage Factor that Shirou possessed was indeed very strange, differing from the Lineage Factor of any other living thing they had scanned over so far. Of course, it was the most similar to that of a human being, but it was still different, enough to imply he was a different species entirely. Naturally, this could have something to do with a Devil Fruit, which was a possibility both he and Vegapunk had considered, but after running the test on someone else with a Devil Fruit ability, they determined that that couldn't possibility be the whole story.

The man studied his partner as the older man took a few more notes, observing the process carefully, before sighing again and turning away. "Don't stay up too late. I need rest, and the machines are remarkably loud."

Vegapunk stared after him with slight distaste. "Of course. After this, Shirou and I will be done for the day." A grunt was his only response before the door shut, leaving the man to his own thoughts.

The machine blinked its light again, signalling it had finished its second stage, and the process had finished. He placed his clipboard down, waiting for the liquid to drain from the tank, opening the door and pausing for Shirou to regain his balance before removing the mask from his head and helping him out, his naked body dripping. "Are you alright, Shirou?"

"Yes, Doct - erm - Vegapunk, I'm fine," the boy stammered, correcting himself, making the older man smile. Ah, children. "Did you get anything useful out of it?"

"I did, in fact, but let's not think about that for now," Vegapunk reassured, handing Shirou a towel, which the boy dried himself off with before changing into his signature white robe, signifying his status as a human test subject. "It's late, and we should get to bed."

The boy nodded obediently and followed the man out of the room, and down the pristine white hall. Reaching a familiar door, Shirou wished the Doctor goodnight, shutting it behind him, turning off the light and tucking himself into the small bed, in the small room he resided in.

He knew very well what he was doing with his youth, to the eyes of others at least. He was wasting it, Judge had told him. But Shirou didn't care; as long as he was helping Doctor Vegapunk, he was happy. That man was the man who rescued him, after all. That was the man who told him that his mission should be to help others. That was the man who literally gave him purpose. Living with Vegapunk and Judge meant exposure to various scientific topics, but mostly biology and psychology. What fascinated Shirou, however, wasn't a specific type of science, rather, the concept of mixing man and machine.

Tired, he closed his eyes, wondering if cyborgs dreamed of electric sheep.

* * *

Illya trudged down the road, tears threatening to fall as she headed towards the coast, going to see Ace off with the rest of the village. A bag in her hand, she hoped she wasn't going to be late.

"Illya?" She jolted at the sound of her voice and turned around, her eyes meeting those of Ace. "I thought you would be at the pier already, I haven't seen you all morning. Do you want to walk together?" His smile was warm, friendly, the one she loved so much. She nodded, and the two walked in silence. The sound of chatter grew louder as they grew closer to the coast, and just before the villagers were in sight, Ace paused in his steps. Illya followed suit, shooting him a confused look.

"Is something wrong?" came her soft voice, softer than usual, trying to contain her sorrow. Ace almost flinched at the sound of it but didn't.

"Hey, remember that thing I wanted to tell you yesterday?" She hummed in affirmation. "I gotta say it now - if he hears, Luffy'll never let me off." Illya raised a brow. Was it so bad? So important? "I...I'm also afraid of you getting hurt if you go out to sea. So, I was...well, I wanted to ask you if you could possibly either leave with Luffy when he leaves, or go when you turn seventeen too. Or at least fifteen."

Her brothers, she huffed, so worried about her all the time. Too worried, she dared say. "Geez Ace," Illya crossed her arms, "I may be six or seven years younger than you but that doesn't mean I'm so weak I'll get myself killed so easily." He offered a soft smile. "...I promise. I'll leave with Luffy in two years if he lets me," she added the last part with a playful tone and he chuckled as he rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, Illya. We care about you a lot, y'know? Just like you do towards us. Just keep that in mind, okay?" Ace fondly ruffled her hair and she stuck her tongue out at him, hearing his laughter ring through her ears, savouring it while it lasted. "You look nervous, did you want to say something?"

She tensed a little before shyly holding up a green-and-gray knapsack.

"This is for me?" He sounded genuinely surprised, and when she nodded quietly, Ace beamed at her. "Thanks a lot, I'll make sure to take good care of it."

Pride and happiness swelled up in Illya's chest at this. "There's some food in there too in case you don't have any for the first few days," she informed and he nodded firmly, telling her he heard loud and clear. "Oh! And..." Ace watched in anticipation as she reached into the pocket of her apron and took out a necklace of large, red lacquered beads. "...Dadan and I made this for you. It's silly, but..."

He studied her as she refused to meet his eyes and laughed under his breath at her, gladly accepting it and slipping it over his head so it hung from his neck. It really did look like the one Dadan wore. "You didn't have to do all this for me, you know," he chuckled and she rolled her eyes.

"You're going to be gone for a long time! Of course I did, plus I'm your sister so I'm obligated to do _something_ ," she reminded and he held up his hands in defeat.

"Yeah, well, you put about a million times more effort than Luffy - he made absolutely nothing," Ace pointed out light-heartedly and Illya sighed, making him laugh again. "Really, Illya, thank you for everything, you're the best sister I could ask for. I really appreciate everything you've done for me." Startling her, he reached out suddenly and embraced her warmly, holding her tightly against his warm frame. Illya hesitated before wrapping her arms around him, taking in his scent for the last time; burning firewood, clean clothes and fresh bark. Likely from sparring with Luffy one final time before cleaning his shirt.

"...you're the best brother, Ace," she murmured in response and he responded by swaying them both from side to side for a moment, acknowledging her sadness on his leaving. "You've done more for me than me for you - you and Luffy both. I knew nothing of who I was but you guys gave me a name, a family and a place to live. So please..." Illya's grip tightened. "...please don't go get yourself killed."

Ace smiled gently, resting his head on hers. "I promise. Not before I say goodbye."

She playfully hit his back at that, and he chuckled silently. "...I'm going to miss you, you big idiot."

"I'm going to miss you too, Pinkie."

Ace finally drew away, taking a few more steps towards the coast, before looking back at her. "Are you going to see me off at the pier?"

She stared at him for a moment before grinning and following after him. "What'd'you think?"

He returned the grin, leading the both of them to their destination. "Why did I even ask?"

* * *

 **A/N: Oops things have happened. It's bad. Sorry.  
**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **Microcrane**


	4. Chapter 4

**Valley of the Fallen**

Fate Series + One Piece

 **A/N:** **I'm honestly surprised no one's mentioned Marineford yet when talking about Illya and the boys - ? Ah, whatever - on another note, I've been rewatching the beginning of One Piece and deciding how to incorporate Illya since she's probably the one y'all are gonna follow along the most since she's starting in a more familiar place than Ritsuka, Shirou, or the last one who's getting an introduction this chapter.**

 **Well, "last one" is a bit misleading, but just know this is the last one getting a somewhat proper and fleshed out introduction. Even then, it's pretty mediocre.  
**

 **I'm rewatching One Piece and seriously, the light-hearted openings just make me so happy. Ah yes, my cringey middle school days when literally the only anime I knew well was one about reindeer and polar bear pirates, and a man made of rubber. That...sounds really weird now that I think about it. I knew it so well you could name an episode number and I'd be able to tell you what arc it was in, what happened in that episode and the opening it had. I'm not even kidding, I was so obsessed, it hurts just thinking about it.**

 **mx2432: No, actually, that's not what I meant by technically; you're going in the wrong direction with that. More accurately, you're going in that direction with the wrong character.**

 **Shirou's still going to have Unlimited Blade Works, kinda sorta, but it definitely won't be the same. His magecraft from the canon will be incorporated, but most definitely not in the same way. Honestly, almost anything goes with One Piece, but I didn't want to do anything outrageous so I tried to put some reason in there.  
**

 **The ones introduced so far won't be in the same crew, no, but I can guarantee they're going to make some unique friends to say the least. Especially Ritsuka, being in the New World and all that.**

 **Amatsumi: Admittedly, yeah, I made Ritsuka a bit more talkative than I wanted (much, _much_ more), but he's gonna get more social over time because he's got a whole family full of loud brothers. And sisters? I dunno.  
**

 **As for the Cyborg Shirou thing, I hate to disappoint, but that's not really Shirou's fate. Somewhat, but it's not really a Cyborg Shirou. The two have, at this point, developed a father-and-son relationship, and Vegapunks want to let him out, so expect something particularly interesting out of that. Rather, I hope it'll be interesting. Hopefully I'll be able to maintain Shirou's altruistic behavior, but yeah, it won't be as extreme because of Vegapunk. Him and Judge.**

 **I hate Judge.**

 **Ahem! Anyways! That does it for the replies. On with the chapter, starting with a flashback. That takes place after a bit of a timeskip. Is that still considered a flashback? Sort of a flashback? Well, anyways, please note that this is just a random note and that the story didn't take that big a jump forward in time yet.  
**

 **Also kind of a last minute question but should I include the "yoi" when Marco speaks? Just wondering; it's kind of annoying to try to incorporate but I feel like I might want to add it to stay a bit more true to his character.**

* * *

Remembering when he first met her, the boy would fondly recall Makino rushing into the bar with a child, an infant maybe, in her arms. The woman hadn't even spared him a glance, only shouting for him to get the village doctor before dashing up the stairs, to where he knew her bedroom was. He didn't bother to ask questions; it wasn't often Makino outright overran his words for the sake of something else, so it had to be important.

Dragging the doctor after him, he burst into the room, announcing his presence with a loud shout before Makino quickly shushed him with a scolding look and a finger pressed to her lips. "Ace, quiet! Don't disturb her!"

Her? He had blinked confusedly before his gaze fell to the bed, and onto the innocent, soft and deathly pale face of a very young girl. Yes, an infant, he had been correct. No older than four or five years, he guessed. Her white hair was splayed out and tangled along the pillow, and her body was damp, the wet towel beside her telling Ace she'd likely been found washed up on the beach. The sand was further promoting that theory.

"Makino, who is she?" The woman shook her head, and he frowned. As his brother would say, a "mystery" girl. Or baby? A "mystery" baby. Both seemed plausible.

"I don't know, I've never seen her before, but she looked like she was about to die, there's no way I could just leave her there." The two were silent as the doctor began an examination, the room devoid of noise save the shuffling of sheets. The few minutes that passed felt like much longer, only because of the suspense. He wasn't the type to start caring immediately, but the fact that such a strange girl had been washed up on the shore with no apparent origins unnerved him and concerned him. His stomach churned at the image of a certain other boy's body floating through the water, lifeless and bloodied. No, he wouldn't let people so young die such meaningless deaths, not to mention this girl was so _young_.

"She's malnourished, in desperate need of food and water but she'll live. However, the scar on the back of her right hand bothers me a little, there's no way the human body, much less a human baby, should be able to heal something so large so fast," the man gently held up the girl's hand, allowing the two to get a better look at what looked like a burn scar. And Ace had to agree, it didn't seem likely a normal human would be able to heal such a severe wound so quickly; it looked like it'd been a deep gash, likely being inflicted rather than gained through hereditary means.

"How long do you think it'll take for her to be healthy again?" Makino asked, visibly worried.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Ace briefly questioned his authenticity as a doctor, "but I'd say maybe a month or two at best, given she's so young. I hate to ask, but would it be possible for you to take care of her? I really can't think of anyone who'd be more capable of it."

The green haired woman smiled happily, "Of course, gladly. Thanks for your time, doctor." Ace had to admire her for making such an immediate decision. Then, his eyes focused on the unknown baby in the bed, sound asleep. For a second, he felt a flash of envy. Envy? "Ace, could you go get Luffy? You're likely to see her a lot from now on, so I think we should introduce him to her."

He blinked in surprise. She certainly accepted the child fast.

"O-Oh...sure, I'll go look for him," he nodded hesitantly before taking off, excited, for some reason. Bringing Luffy back not too long after, the younger boy was immediately making confused sounds and faces, examining the girl and squinting at her, as if it would suddenly tell him everything about her.

"So the mystery baby doesn't have a name?" he asked, for the twenty-third time, and Ace curtly whacked him in the head, expression unchanging as the boy whined.

"No, genius, she doesn't, for the last time."

Makino giggled at them, before leaning her cheek in the palm of her hand. "Would you boys like to name her?"

The two gave her a look of shock before Luffy's eyes sparkled. "Really? Really?!"

Ace sighed at him, raising a brow at Makino. "You shouldn't have offered." To which, she chuckled again.

"Ace, Ace! Let's name her something really really long and fancy!" he urged, stretching out his last few words to emphasize his point.

"No, why would you do that to someone?!" He whacked him again.

"But Ace!" the boy whined and the older brother sighed. Luffy was giving him a headache.

"Fine, but it has to be within reason."

"Uhm..." Luffy was at a loss for a moment, frowning in thought, before seeing a vase of flowers in the corner. "How about Iris! Irisviel!"

Ace gave him a questioning glance, wondering how he'd branched off to such a strange name so fast. "No, that's too simple."

"Weren't you just complaining about making it complicated?" came Makino's amused voice, and Ace shot her a glare.

"Er...what sounds like Irisviel?" Luffy tilted his head and puffed up his cheeks in thought. "Uh...oh! Ilisviel!"

"That's basically the same name!" Ace protested and Luffy stuck his tongue out at his brother. "Why you - !"

"Now now," Makino stopped him with a scornful look. "Let's not start throwing punches, Ace."

"Yeah, yeah..." Ace muttered, then seriously took a moment to think over it.

"Ilasviel?" Luffy helpfully provided and Ace snapped his fingers, almost in realization.

"Illyasviel!" He declared, and Luffy grinned.

"Yeah, yeah! That sounds cool! What about a last name, a last name?!" Makino watched the two of them begin to excitedly debate over the baby's surname, with a slight smile on her face, before looking back to the aforementioned child, now dubbed Illyasviel. It seemed she was going to grow up with two boys helping her along the way, always.

And now here Ace sat on the edge of the boat, watching the waves pass, hearing his crewmates' jolly chatter behind him as he remained in his lonesome. His hand went up to his neck, fondly tracing his fingers over the heavy wooden beads that hung from it, remembering Illya's face as he was leaving, smiling, so happy for him, but crying at the same time, knowing she'd miss him. He wouldn't let her down, he'd keep his promise. But he had to remain here a bit longer before he went back to the East Blue to see her again.

He sniggered, remembering the name he and Luffy had come up with; Illyasviel von Einzbern. Ace closed his eyes, adjusting himself so his back was flat against the wood, some of it warm, some of it chilly. On that very same part of the ship, years ago, Ritsuka sat, staring at that same sea, hearing the same crewmates' banter and bickering with a small smile, before the strange dent had begun to form from being overused as a seat. His nails scratched against his scalp, feeling his clean locks from washing a few hours ago, a few traces of water still between the dark brown hairs.

"Hey, Ritsuka!" The boy perked, hearing Thatch's voice calling him. "C'mon, join us! You look lonely over there." His words were followed by a series of laughter from the others and he sighed, hopping off the rail and onto the deck, walking over.

"D'you guys actually need me for something or did you just feel like pulling me over for no reason?" despite Ritsuka's irked words, the look in his eyes was enough to tell them he was somewhat amused. Marco chuckled silently, taking another sip of his drink before placing the cup back on the table.

"The latter," he replied before Thatch could speak, getting a pout from the man and a snort from the young man, and patted the vacant seat beside him. "Well, that doesn't matter, take a seat anyways. It's not like you're not wanted." Ritsuka nodded in acknowledgement and took the offered spot.

"If I recall correctly, you suffered amnesia, didn't you?" Izo asked, breaking from his previous conversation with some of his division members to focus on the new member. Ritsuka made a sound of affirmation, frowning confusedly at the strange transparent liquid in his oddly flat cup. A deep plate? A laugh went through his new brothers, and Teach went on to explain;

"That's a type of alcohol called sake. You're a bit young so you probably haven't had any befo - "

Izo swiped the cup and downed it in one gulp, not even flinching. Marco was slightly impressed; it seemed he had grown more accustomed to the burn of the liquor. It was pretty well known on the ship Izo was a bit of a lightweight, despite their first impressions of the man. Izo glared pointedly at the curly black haired man, accusingly. "Don't offer him sake, Teach! He doesn't even look like he's in his teens yet!"

Teach muttered his complaints under his breath, glaring right back at him, though everyone knew at this point it was playful spite. "Yeah, who says he isn't a teen though? There's plenty of people out there who're a lot older than they look." Izo huffed and Marco almost sighed in exasperation upon seeing his cheeks begin to tinge pink; he was getting drunk.

"Better safe than sorry!"

Thatch's laugh cut into the argument. "I didn't realize you were against giving minors sake, Izo!" He received a glare as well, a killer one at that, but knowing that the man was under the influence of liquor he didn't feel as afraid. He was more predictable in this state so not-getting-killed was easier. "Pirate of Justice, Izo!"

Izo slammed his foot onto the table, leaning over it to grab Thatch's collar, but still the man didn't show any sign of fear. "Shut your mouth!"

"Easy now, Officer, don't go killing the offender," the brunette joked further, and his assailant drew his fist back to deliver a punch point blank, before he heard a series of sniggers, trying to stay concealed but utterly failing. Izo faltered, looking a little shocked before turning his head to Ritsuka, who was looking over at the two of them like some sort of amusing spectacle.

"Do they always do that?" Ritsuka asked, pretending not to be aware of Izo's gaze, gaze falling to Vista, who only glanced at the two before his eyes sparkled (much to Marco's suspicion as his in turn narrowed), sighing dramatically.

"Yes, all the time, it's unbearable!" The two made sounds of protest, but were candidly ignored. "I honestly don't know how Pops puts up with them, much less Thatch alone."

"Hey!"

Ritsuka laughed, eyes closed with a wide smile as Marco watched the boy's expression, his own unreadable. His laughter was light, almost pure, showing no bitterness, no kind of ill will, differing differently from that of all the others, whose were heavier and tended to be more weighed down by past experiences, with more understandable reasons to have such a reaction. But his laughter, it was so blank. It was just that; it was just laughter. There was nothing backing it.

Even Vista seemed a little disturbed by how innocent it sounded, but he still seemed happy with himself for making the boy laugh.

"Is Thatch really that bad?" Ritsuka asked, still giggling softly, offering Vista a chance to go even further.

"Oh, you have no idea my boy, he's the absolute worst of us all, you should have seen all the times he's tried to pull pranks on poor old Marco over there." Marco scowled.

"I'm not _that_ old, Vista," he countered and Ritsuka tilted his head.

"How old are you, Marco?" He almost spat out his drink. The boy was really blunt, wasn't he? Ritsuka really just kept surprising him, and Marco was pretty sure that this wasn't a good thing; first he showed up out of nowhere with no memories, next he was suddenly so talkative when speaking with Whitebeard, and now this? "Are you okay?!"

Marco coughed a few times, the other three men laughing at him and he shot them a playfully warning look before focusing on their youngest member. "I'm fine, Ritsuka, don't worry about it. No one's ever asked me how old I am before," he explained and Ritsuka nodded his head, though he was clearly still somewhat confused. "But! My age is a closely guarded secret."

Thatch almost burst out laughing again at Marco's voice, one that sounded as if he was speaking to a baby who'd just learned to speak, but he couldn't help but let a few out when Ritsuka tilted his head again cluelessly. It really was as if he was speaking to a newborn. Then again, Ritsuka didn't have any memories and knew basically nothing other than how to speak, so he may as well have been one.

"Huh? Why, though? Is your age that bad?"

The men who were listening in seemed very, very amused by that statement, joining in, but they were teasing, rather than asking a simple question.

"No, it's not," Marco had to take a breath to stay calm. They were becoming frustrating. "I just like to keep it a secret because asking people to guess is fun. I don't age too much, not visibly anyways, because of my Devil Fruit so it becomes a challenge."

Ritsuka blinked again and Marco immediately knew what he was going to ask next.

"What's a Devil Fruit?"

* * *

"A Devil Fruit is a strange fruit that, once eaten, alters one's Lineage Factor and grants them strange and unique abilities," Vegapunk watched Shirou's expression change from innocent curiosity to puzzled. "Let's use a man I've mentioned before as an example; Edward Newgate, or Whitebeard. Do you remember him?"

Shirou nodded. "Good. And do you remember what I told you his ability is?"

"Something about...earthquakes?" the boy asked timidly and felt relieved when the Doctor smiled proudly.

"Yes, very good Shirou! Whitebeard harnesses the power of earthquakes. Of course, any normal human would not be able to do such a thing, as I imagine you already know." The boy nodded again. "In order to gain this power, he ate a Devil Fruit."

Understanding grew in Shirou's eyes as he eagerly looked back up at the older man, curiosity returning.

"Unfortunately, if you eat one, you lose the ability to swim."

This time, the boy frowned. "You...can't swim anymore? How does it do that?"

Vegapunk shook his head, "I'm not quite sure why, and honestly I don't want to know. If I did and it leaked out somewhere, several organizations would be asking me to bioengineer people or Fruits themselves to prevent this downside." Shirou was silent. "I can't deny I'm curious, however, perhaps I'll do some research further in the future if I'm out of my right mind and decide to have a look."

"...have you eaten a Devil Fruit, Doctor Vegapunk?" Shirou inquired and the man shook his head.

"No, not yet, but I can't say I haven't seen one before. I've seen plenty, in fact. And please, Shirou, do just call me Vegapunk." He could tell the boy deliberately ignored the last part of his statement. "So, do you think you would be willing to eat one of the Devil Fruit we have in the store room?"

Shirou felt uneasy for a moment, he had to admit, but he wanted to ask something for clarification before he gave his response. This wasn't a decision he could go back on. "Will this help your research?"

Vegapunk smiled, genuinely, knowing he could answer this question confidently. "Yes, it'll help us advance a lot faster than previously. We've fully archived all possible information we may need to use later that we obtained through you, so this would be a new stage."

That was all he needed - and without further hesitation, "I'm willing."

* * *

The girl stared at the Fruit in her hand in mild disgust, scowling at the mere sight of it, as if its mere existence would rid her of everything she loved, rid her life of meaning and everything else.

"Come now, is it really that bad?" came the voice of her father, almost amused.

"It's a Devil Fruit, of course it's _that bad_ ," she retorted icily and he sighed, seeing her point.

"I understand that you don't want to eat it, but please don't forget what the powers it grants you will mean later on in your life. I'm not giving this to you just to make you a super soldier, but I have to admit that is one of my motivations." At least he was being honest, she noted. "You know how dangerous it is out there, and because you're leaving our arms soon I don't want to risk you getting hurt."

"I understand," she sighed, scowl softening to a thoughtful frown. "I just...don't know if I really want to eat this thing. Can't I just train in Haki instead?" Her father shook his head sadly.

"I wish you could, but please understand this is the only way that we can possibly get Germa 66 to even consider letting you train as one of their elite force." She huffed, eyes lingering on the Fruit before cautiously sniffing it, making the man chuckle softly. "It has no smell, the only way to know more about it would be to eat it."

"Father, I know I've told you this already, but I don't want to join Germa 66, nor do I want to eat a Devil Fruit. I understand why you want me to join, but I really don't want to do this. Eating an unknown Devil Fruit is incredibly dangerous, as is giving it to a little kid," she reasoned and her father sighed.

"I understand this, Rin, and I acknowledge your opinion on the matter, but please, for the sake of the family." Rin could tell he was honestly begging her without letting the tone lay too heavily on his voice.

"...fine. But I've heard these taste horrible, so don't be surprised if I spit it out immediately." The man laughed lightly at her words, relieved, before watching her carefully as she slowly brought it to her lips, placing her teeth on the skin, bracing herself and steeling her nerves before digging her teeth into it. And she was right; it really did taste absolutely horrid.

* * *

Shirou gagged on the Fruit, tears coming to his eyes from how bitter and sour it was, but forced himself to chew the crispy flesh and swallow, no matter how painful the process was. Vegapunk, seeing the boy's reaction, hurried to his side and fretted silently for a moment. "Shirou, are you alright? I'm so sorry, I should have given you something before you ate it to help with the flavour..."

"N-No, it's fine," Shirou coughed, but it was abundantly clear he was lying through his teeth, something that surprised the Doctor; Shirou rarely lied to him. Though, to be fair, those lies had only been to dodge Vegapunk's concern and pretend he was alright. For instance, the time he tripped down the stairs and bashed his head into the floor and started bleeding badly, but told him it was but a flesh wound.

Vegapunk let the boy have a moment to recover before guiding him over to a nearby stool and pulling one up for himself. Once Shirou stopped cough and gulping without abandon, Vegapunk decided it was the appropriate time to begin his assessment. "Are you better now?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, may I begin asking a few questions?" Shirou nodded and Vegapunk hummed, turning to his clipboard and taking a pen out of his jacket pocket. "Do you feel any different now?"

"...my fingers are tingling; very much so. It almost hurts. Like pins and needles, but more painful," the boy tried to describe the sensation, looking at his hands in confusion. Was this normal? "I almost...I almost feel like something wants to get out."

Vegapunk's brows furrowed at this. Something within his body wanting to get out? Could it be a Zoan-type? Logia was also possible, but intuitively he felt that it was more likely the user would feel their body changing states rather than wanting to expand. He quickly took note of this on his clipboard. "Anything you know now that you didn't before? Perhaps information the Fruit granted?"

"I don't think so," Shirou shook his head, frowning. "I...have a strange image of blades clashing...are they claws...? I'm not sure..."

Vegapunk nodded and wrote his response down, before venturing to suggest, "Why don't you try to see if you can let this something get out? I'd imagine it won't harm you, because you're the user." Shirou gave him a worried look, and he immediately knew what was on his mind. "If you get out of hand, you don't have to worry, I can handle myself."

It seemed his reassuring smile was enough for the boy before he closed his eyes. Vegapunk made sure to be on edge, knowing anything could happen. And, proving his judgement right, a wave of pressure left Shirou's body, an almost deafening noise soon following, sending the papers on the desk flying, the desk across the room, and the scientist onto the floor.

A cry of pain echoed in his ears soon after and he quickly recovered, and his eyes widened upon seeing the boy's frame. His eyes were screwed shut, his teeth clenched, as his arms hugged his gut. But what he was trying to prevent from happening wasn't staying, like he seemed to want to. Instead it was bursting out; blades were bursting out. His skin glowed an ivory white, some seeming to melt and drip slowly down his form before changing shape.

There were so many, there were so many _blades_.

...

 _Emptiness._

 _That was the only word he could use to accurately describe where he was. A desert, a wasteland, as far as the eye could see, nothing to disturb the view of muted gold sand and dirt._

 _Nothing was there, just hilly landscape._

 _Then, suddenly before him, there was a dark figure; a silhouette. No light bounced off it, they were made of pure darkness and sorrow. A shiver shot down his spine as he tried to look away, but he couldn't. His eyes were drawn to the figure, fixated, unable to try and run. Was he frozen with fear? He wasn't sure._

 _The figure smiled. Where its mouth should be turned white, a toothy grin becoming visible on its face. It wasn't a sick grin, it wasn't full of malice. It seemed...bitter?_

 _It was sorrowful, thankful; it spoke of such horrible things. He tried to cry out, to demand who the figure was, but his mouth wouldn't open. His eyes widened as the figure drew their arm back, then plunged it through his chest. This time when he opened his mouth, he produced a shrill scream, a scream of pain and anguish._

It hurt much more than it should have.

 _As quick as they came, the figure disappeared, and he could feel the sudden absence in his gut, feeling the cold air against his exposed flesh. He collapsed onto the ground, weakly trying to look at his chest, but was unable to._

 _Before his weary eyes closed from the pain overcoming him, he saw them appear._

 _Swords, spears, bows._

 _Weapons, appearing out of seemingly nothing, just popping into existence._

Those are -

 _Who?_

They are yours, -

 _I don't understand..._

But don't become greedy, -

 _What is this?_

You will soon come to share them with another, one so much like yourself.

 _He tried to ask the strange thoughts again, but felt his consciousness slip from him._

* * *

 **A/N:** **Oh boy what am I doing, this was practically a filler chapter, I hate it. But whatever, exposition overload in a way.**

 **Well yeah, you guys can probably guess what his thoughts are saying, it's pretty obvious, but I'm betting none of you will be able to guess how it'll come to be ;)**

 **I'm such a cringe.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **Microcrane**


	5. Chapter 5

**Valley of the Fallen**

Fate Series + One Piece

 **A/N:** **And here we are with the next chapter, hopefully with a bit more explanatory and expositional content than the last. Things are a bit rushed right now, I know, but I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I want this to play out - I really didn't expect people to actually take interest in this and now I feel obligated to write something actually good, rip me. Don't forget I came up with the premise to this in like what, ten-fifteen minutes?  
**

 **Amatsumi: Yeah, in hindsight I should have given Rin a longer introduction, but her story doesn't have as much going on in it in the same way as Shirou or Ritsuka, so I think telling hers in little snippets would be a bit more efficient, but I'm not sure, so this chapter starts with a bit of compensation. I'm still pretty bad at writing stories, oops. To respond to your question, right now, Germa 66 is in the North Blue.  
**

 **And concerning Ritsuka, his training wasn't something I really planned on showing since it wasn't overly important to the plot (I thought, at least) but since you seem to be expressing interest in it I'll show some over the course of the next few chapters.**

 **Nice pizza party: I'm glad you like it! I'll do my best and I'll try not to be so harsh on myself, though it can be hard with people like me rip**

 **Forewarning, there's going to be some really weird and sudden time transitions in this chapter so if names change without explanation, assume that's why.**

* * *

 _She watched a woman, bloodied and battered, clutching a large, bulky two-sided blade, wide and thin plates of sharpened metal extending from either side of the handle, one side gold and silver, the other obsidian and flaxen, a strange white arc connecting the two on the side away from her own weakened form. A brilliant weapon, she acknowledged._

 _"You look pitiful," she spoke, but without speaking. She knew it was her voice, but at the same time it did not sound like her own. It was deep, masculine; not hers at all. The woman scowled deeply at her, revealing what seemed to be fangs, accompanied by snow-white teeth._

 _"What do you want, human? I would get up and kill you right now, but I don't have the strength." That much was obvious. From the crimson dripping onto the marbled and stone floor, it seemed she didn't have much time.  
_

 _"Hah! 'Human?'" her voice spoke again, and she tried to stop, but she couldn't. She wasn't the one in control. "You're mistaken, my Queen. I'm just as non-human as you." The woman's eyes widened. "Maybe even less, but who will ever know?"_

 _She growled at her. No, him. "What do you want from us? From me? What have we ever done to you? Never once have we waged war upon another, never once have we given reason for violence..."_

 _"What have you ever done to me...?" A smirk graced those lips, those that she had no control over, those that were not hers. "My dear Queen..._

 _"You have done **so, so much**..."_

* * *

Rin shot up, throwing off her covers in a cold sweat, eyes wide. Taking in her surroundings, she relaxed once she realized she was simply in her sleeping quarters. Shifting, she hopped off her bed and lit her bedside lantern so she could change into something a bit more appropriate than nightclothes. It was not morning, far from it, the moon was high in the sky and the window only showed midnight mist. Despite being a child, she did not cower when she had such strange dreams.

They were all so similar. There was a Queen, a Queen with a beautiful blade and a beautiful soul, coated in blood, who would always be killed in the end. She was used to it, she knew how it would start and finish, but at the same time it unnerved her. Why was she having these dreams? It especially unnerved her as someone who was now working with one. Opening the door of her room, she exited with the candle, shutting it behind her before walking a few paces down the hall, wallowing in the peaceful and undisturbed silence; a rarity in this palace.

"M-Miss Tohsaka?" Alas, it was interrupted once her blue eyes came upon a familiar head of blond hair. "F...Fancy seeing you here..." The boy's voice was laced with fear and anxiety, something Rin almost scoffed at. But she wouldn't do something so unprofessional, despite her age.

"Hello, Sanji," she acknowledged his presence, startling him with her lack of malice and anger. "What are you doing, up at this hour? If any other had found you, you would have been in deep trouble."

The young Sanji laughed sheepishly, looking relieved that the older girl wasn't going to 'turn him in.' "Yeah...uhm...I couldn't sleep," he explained shyly and Rin almost rolled her eyes at him. The boy was so introverted it was almost sad. "Could you not tell dad you saw me up this late...?"

She sighed before smiling softly and stepping a bit closer before bowing a quick yet polite bow. "Of course, I won't say a word. You can count on me."

Sanji returned the smile; he could always rely on Rin. She was the only one besides his mother and sister he knew could understand him. He knew he wasn't supposed to speak so much to someone without as impressive royal blood, but he knew she didn't mind, and she wouldn't tell. As one of the few outsiders taken under Judge's wing, his brothers weren't particularly fond of her, but respected her prowess enough to leave her alone. Well, 'respecting her prowess,' if glaring at her and constantly demanding for a duel counted as such. Rin may not have been genetically engineered by her parents (much to his jealousy), but she possessed both the power of a Devil Fruit and impressive reflexes, which easily made up for that fact. Niji, at the very least, did adhere to the standard definition of respecting another.

"Miss Tohsaka, why're you awake? Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked, and Rin scratched her head, pondering how she should explain this.

"Same as you, really; I couldn't sleep," she lied cleanly, opting not to tell the young boy of her strange nightly visions. Sanji, the innocent boy he was, simply nodded, accepting the answer as if it were the truth. Rin truly envied his naivete.

"Do you want to stay awake together?" Sanji proposed, obviously hoping she would say yes. There was a sparkle in his eyes that she couldn't possibly say no to, and sighed, agreeing. The boy beamed up at her, happy she had accepted. "Where do you want to go?"

"How about...we just wander a little bit?" He faltered, unsure. "Don't worry, I'll make sure we won't get caught. Trust me. I'm the master of sneaking around." She flashed him a mischievous look and a smirk, which was enough to get him to gain enough courage to nod. She offered him her hand silently and he eyed it for a moment, before hesitantly placing his on top of it and Rin wrapped her slightly longer fingers around his hand, almost in a motherly fashion - something that had him relaxing his shoulders in seconds.

The two walked down the hall, quiet at first, before Sanji spoke up.

"Did Yonji challenge you again today?" Rin giggled, giving him the answer before she even replied.

"Yeah, he did, but don't worry Sanji, I beat him again too. That makes it the sixty-sixth win for me, and zero losses." He couldn't help but snigger at the look on Rin's face, and she shot him a playful glare. "But Ichiji always beats me," she pouted. "I'll beat him some day."

Sanji nodded, pumping his fist in encouragement. "I have faith in you! You're really strong Miss Tohsaka, you'll catch up to him in no time!"

She laughed lightly at him, extracting a pout, before ruffling his hair slightly. "Thanks, Sanji, that makes me feel a lot better." He grinned again, glad to hear those words.

* * *

Ritsuka was in his usual spot, sitting on the rail of the Moby Dick, looking at the back of his right hand, admiring the new Jolly Roger it adorned, tracing his fingers over the red tinged skin. Though most had theirs in blue or purple, he instead asked if he could have his in a rich maroon shade, a stark contrast to the tattoo on Marco's chest for instance, which was a muted lapis.

It had been a few weeks since he officially joined the family, but it honestly felt like longer. With the way the others treated him, he may as well have been there his whole life already. He'd been placed in the Second Division after a bit of discussion, much to Thatch's displeasure (he was complaining the next few days), and it was only a bit later before Ritsuka decided he wanted to get tattoos. Izo had been immensely opposed to it, as he didn't like the idea of a young boy getting ink pierced in below his skin, but no one else backed him up on that so he gave up.

So here Ritsuka sat, the Whitebeard Pirates' Jolly Roger on the back of his right hand, three thick bands of red around either wrist, a sun on each elbow and another ring just under his shoulder muscles (his deltoids, to be more specific), and more on the way. Marco had laughed and told him he was getting a bit excited about the whole tattoo thing, but didn't tell him to stop. He actually told him they strangely suited him.

Izo hit him pretty hard that day.

Looking back up at the starry sky, he felt the late night breeze blow softly across his collarbone and wrists, tickling his ankles as he swung his feet back and forth, tight black slippers covering his toes.

"Are you always up this late, yoi?" Ritsuka didn't jump in surprise; he was expecting something like this, he'd grown used to it. Looking over his shoulder, his light blue eyes met with calm and lazy black.

"Yeah, I find it hard to fall asleep. This is the only place that I can sit still and think for a while undisturbed," he explained, before adding, "Most of the time."

Marco chuckled, getting up from leaning against the wall, uncrossing his arms. He went over to the rail as well, just to Ritsuka's right and leaned against it, staring out at the dark yet serene ocean that surrounded them. "Do you ever think about where you may have come from, yoi?"

Ritsuka was silent for a moment. "More often than not, yeah. I'm really not sure, but I try not to let it bother me too much. I have a home and a family now, so going back at this point would be questionable at best."

The blond male leaned his cheek into his palm. "What makes you so sure about that, yoi?"

The boy hummed in thought. "Something's telling me I need to find someone, I need to find something, that it'll give me all the answers. And I won't deny I want them, but at the same time, do I want to know? It might rip me away from you guys."

Marco and Ritsuka watched the water, quiet, before Ritsuka went on to say, "There's something I haven't really told you yet, or anyone else, really."

"You can tell us anything, you know, yoi," Marco reminded, "You're part of the family now."

"Yeah, I guess I am..." Ritsuka took a deep breath, clearing his head. "But I...is it okay if I tell you some other time? I'm not sure if I want to...talk about it yet."

Marco's gaze lingered on the boy, then turned to the starts shining down on them. "Take your time, yoi. Izo would kill me if I forced something out of you anyways." At that, Ritsuka chuckled. "Have you considered trying to find a Devil Fruit for yourself, yoi?" he changed the subject, something the brunette seemed to appreciate.

"Well...I did, until I remembered I wouldn't be able to swim," he said honestly. "Not being able to swim sounds like a big enough downside for me to say no."

"Fair enough," Marco nodded. "I guess I don't have to worry too much about that since I can fly, yoi."

Ritsuka was silent for a moment before looking down at the man. "Can I see your phoenix form?"

The Division Commander seemed a little surprised by the request before smirking. "Nah, maybe some other time." Ritsuka pouted at him before huffing. "Trust me, kid, it'll be worth the wait, yoi. I'll fly you somewhere." The happy grin Marco was offering him was enough to sate him, and Ritsuka nodded, his pout turning into a smile, looking back out to the sea.

"Marco?"

"Hm?"

"...nevermind. It was a stupid question." He raised a brow at Ritsuka, but he didn't acknowledge his silent question, so he didn't go further.

"Alright. But if it has to do with your past, like I said, you can tell us anything, and if no one else, you can talk to me, yoi. If you need help, you can always talk to me. I'll be open." The boy stared at him for a moment before smiling again and nodding.

"Thanks, Marco."

"Sure, yoi." He felt strangely proud he earned the young man's gratitude. "I'm going to go back to sleep," he drew back from the rail and began to walk off, looking at Ritsuka over his shoulder. "Don't stay up for too long, kids like you need rest, yoi."

The boy stuck his tongue out at him and he laughed, before waving and going to his room, and soon the air was once again filled by the serene sound of waves crashing against the side of the Moby Dick, the smell of the sea returning to him. He gazed at where Marco just stood before looking out into the ocean again. A few hours passed as he sat, completely still, until the sun began to peak over the horizon, greeting him warmly.

Seeing the beams of sunlight pressing against the pale boards of the ship, he hopped off the rail and stalked off, trying to find Izo's room. There were a few knocks on the wooden door, and the man within tiredly called for him to wait. A few minutes passed before Izo opened the door, eyes meeting with a pair of familiar black. "Oh, Ace, it's you." The young man noted the almost disappointed look in his eyes, as if he were expecting someone else, but made no comment on it. This wasn't the first time he'd gotten that look from Izo.

"That's how you greet someone first thing in the morning?" he joked and Izo offered a lop-sided smirk, lightly amused before stepping out the doorway of his room, shutting it behind him.

"Apparently." Ace laughed, walking with the other man to the others, who were already eating. "Are you enjoying your position as Second Division Commander so far?" Izo asked after a short moment of silence. The question confused the younger male, but he shook it off.

"Well, not too much has changed, when I think about it," he admitted with a light grin crossing his face. "It's nice to know Pops trusts me enough to put me in this position, but it really feels like nothing happened." Ace searched Izo's expression, seeing the strange look entering it and regretted his words. Had he said something wrong. "You okay, Izo? You're acting a little weird."

"...no, it's nothing." Bullshit, Ace thought. "I just...remembered something, that's all." Izo had a sad look in his eyes, and Ace wanted to shake it out of him and demand what he did wrong so he knew what to never do again, but he could tell he wasn't getting answers. So instead, he nodded understandingly, much to the man's relief. Soon, they reached the others and Izo soon departed to sit with his Division, leaving Ace alone.

The freckled teen stared after the geisha-esque man, frowning, before hearing someone calling him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Thatch there, waving him over. Taking a seat beside him, he greeted the older brunette warmly, something Thatch gladly reciprocated.

"You're probably wondering about Izo," Thatch suddenly said, and he nodded, worried. "To be honest, all of us are feeling a little down, but he's just...well he's probably the most affected out of all of us." Ace saw someone twitch not too far away and glanced over towards them, spotting Marco's signature blond hair, but never got the chance to ask what was wrong. "I think it's best not to talk about it yet, but I think you'll know when it's time. I hate to be that one guy who never speaks in clear English, but for the sake of the crew I don't want to explicitly mention it."

He raised a brow, "How exactly will I know when it's time?"

Thatch hummed. "Probably when Izo openly brings something sensitive up. If he's okay with talking about it, everyone else would be." Ace nodded slowly, taking it in. So, something that the crew preferred not to talk about, probably a loss of some kind. The death of an important crew member? The mere thought of it sickened him.

"I'll keep that in mind." Thatch grinned at that, patting his shoulder gruffly but in a friendly fashion, before they focused on their food.

* * *

Standing at the coast of the small island, Ritsuka shifted his weight as he felt Marco's concerned gaze on him. "Are you sure you want to go into town alone? I was going to send someone with you, yoi, just in case, but if you don't want that..."

"Well, I doubt anyone would really want to go with me," he reasoned sheepishly. "Besides, I'm basically the only one on the crew who doesn't have a bounty, so no one will recognize me as a pirate; danger's less likely with me than anyone else." He had a point, Marco had to admit, and he reluctantly agreed.

"If you're so sure, yoi," he sighed. "But if you need trouble, yoi, you remember how to use a Transponder Snail, right?" Ritsuka nodded and Marco offered a smile. "Alright, off you go then, yoi. Just make sure you get enough for the next few days. Don't get too much, yoi, we do still have some supplies."

The boy nodded again, before waving good-bye, and jogging off into town, empty baskets and bags in hand.

Hopefully he wouldn't get in too much trouble today.

* * *

 **A/N:** **You guys have no idea how many times I mistyped "Whitebeard" and wrote "Shitebeard" by accident, I swear my hands want to be the end of me.  
**

 **Half-assed ending, I kind of ran my motivation dry before waiting a few days and realizing it wasn't going to come back until I started a new chapter with more room. So uh, yeah. Here we are.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **Microcrane**


End file.
